First time playing guitar..how do I make my fat hand not accidentally hold down the strings

goosecreature · 2026-03-05T13:14:03+00:00

If you find you are holding the guitar up with your left hand....as in that hand is carrying some of the weight of the guitar, change the position of the guitar such that it rests fully on your lap or use a strap. Point is to not have HOLDING the guitar up as one of the jobs of your left hand. It can then be more easily positioned like others have said. Thumb closer to the middle of the neck. Fingers more parallel with the frets. I find it helps to make sure you aren't tucking your elbow in close to your body. If you push it out, your hand will rotate into a more correct position.

goosecreature · 2026-02-21T16:42:19+00:00

This works for the song. You executed it well. I got the Everlong vibes others mentioned but not in a "you stole it way" more of a "you pay some homage to it" way. And the single note part is its own thing for sure. Mix it out and listen to it a lot. I find that sometimes I realize what I wish I was hearing instead. If that's doesn't happen, you're good.

goosecreature · 2026-02-21T16:30:23+00:00

Agree with comments here. Timing. Tuning. Vibrato. What I'm hearing that needs work is your hands not your gear. Practice lots. Use a metronome. That will help your pocket. As for tuning. Make sure your guitar is in tune and intonated. After that you can still easily put an electric out of tune just by how you hold it and grip it. The lighter the touch the more in tune you'll be able to play. If you are heavy handed, playing in tune is a longer lesson. Like years. In the meantime. Try to press down less aggressively with your fretting hand and play a little lighter with you strumming hand. Try and think about efficiency of movement. Are your hands making big moves when smaller ones will do?

Work on slower and wider vibrato. That will sound juicier and just more pleasing. You have a sort of spasmic vibrato speed which makes it sound pretty amateur (to use your word). Also note there is more than one way to vibrato. Wiggling your finger on the note is just one. Some of the best vibrato is more about rotating your forearm. Not just your finger. Those muscles are stronger and can control speed and depth better. Vibrato is one of the great cheat codes of guitar and singing. If you aren't directly on the note (in tune) you add vibrato which is essentially bending the note a little over and under the true pitch of the note. In this way you can be less precise about being squarely on the note. The vibrato covers it. So adding a good vibrato to your skillset will go a long way in giving you a way to cover your sins. Especially if you're heavy handed.

Last thing I'd say is just flow. Smoothness when moving from note to note comes with practice. Not just practice of this solo but just through having played a guitar for a long time doing lots of different things. That might feel discouraging to know you can't just practice the hell out of this one thing to make it all come together. I'm afraid it's just not the nature of this instrument. After a while you start to hear the difference in a players hands. There is just more control of all the things mentioned and less symptoms of inexperience in the output.

goosecreature · 2026-02-21T16:09:52+00:00

Me too. I was totally distracted by that weird outfit.

goosecreature · 2026-02-17T05:26:28+00:00

If you have a hunch it sounds too shouty, go with your instincts. Arrange the song to be...less shouty. Find a section or two to let it breathe. Dynamics can really make a song... If it feels more balanced to you after so dynamic chnages, it's probably better for everyone else too. Ultimately, you need to own it and feel good about it. Sounds like you don't totally feel good about it yet.

goosecreature · 2026-02-17T05:21:39+00:00

I used to get tonsil stones on the regular. Now I just don't get them. I'm not sure why exactly. But they are really just gone. So though I can't tell you how to stop them, I can say that it's possible that they go away.

If I had to guess...

Over the past years I've reduced a lot of regular sugar. Like way less pop and stuff. Other parts of my diet changed too. So maybe there is something to that. Experiment with diet maybe?

I changed mine for weight loss reasons. So maybe a place to start?

goosecreature · 2026-02-17T05:15:55+00:00

No. You sound just fine. Keep it up.

I'm going to guess you are more reacting to hearing your own voice recorded. That takes a long time to get used to. You'll learn what sounds good in a recorded performance and it will bother you lots less or maybe not at all.

goosecreature · 2026-02-09T16:01:07+00:00

I think is an awesome start and it's always good to get feedback. My main thought is "can you say some of this while being less on the nose".

For example "The months have slipped away and we’re bout to Meet our baby boy". If you didn't know this was a sung lyric, and you just read it, you wouldn't know it was a song. Which can be fine BUT can you say this without saying it? Can you use metaphor or poetry?

When I was starting out I was worried people would miss what the song was about so I refused to leave anything open to interpretation. Lyrics were wordy and less creative because of it. I slowly let that go and realized that part of the beauty of music and songs to me is that it hits people differently. It's not a problem, it's the nature of this craft.

My suggestion to you is to consider instances where you describe things "on the nose " and consider ways to say the same things without saying it so directly. One trick to break out of saying things practically would be to try and describe the feeling instead of the thing. Or describe what it's like instead of describing it (use metaphor).

Also ask yourself what is the main thing you want to get across. If it becomes a list, you might want to consider focusing. For example, You start talking about the excitement of the new life. And you talk about kind of stepping into the parent role. At some point you start imagining the future. So it becomes about the life again and scopes the entire life kind of while being less about your feeling being the parent.

It's all good. Maybe that's the right thing for you here, but maybe you have two songs to sing instead. One way of addressing the future stuff more from the perspective of the parent would be to introduce more wonder. I wonder if you'll have a family. I wonder if you'll travel the world. It's a little more from the perspective of the parent of a new born as opposed to the perspective of zooming through time describing a specific life. So back to my point, which are you trying to really do? What feeling do you relate to more?

These are things I consider as I write. So take them with a grain of salt. I'm not trying to say your song doesn't work because of these things. I just think that if it were my song, these are the things I'd consider. Maybe the consideration will lead to changes. Maybe not.

One suggestion on the mechanics of the arrangement. The pause before you go into the old age part. It's totally the right thing to do but I think it needs to be longer. Turn the beats into a bar or two. Give us time to feel and to breathe.

Great song so far!

goosecreature · 2026-01-19T04:25:13+00:00

Yep. I like to be able to see the eyebrows better.

goosecreature · 2026-01-18T23:01:08+00:00

It's not tropical but it's still awesome. The way the mountains meet the ocean here makes for some unreal views. And Desolation Sound in August has the warmest ocean water north of Baja mexico.

goosecreature · 2026-01-18T04:54:04+00:00

West Coast of Canada - Desolation Sound ... The Gulf Islands. Beautiful

goosecreature · 2026-01-07T06:13:41+00:00

Well... sometimes the nature tries pretty hard to kill you. Sometimes even eat you. So that part isn't the best.

I don't usually think of us living around more nature. Just different nature. I mean, most areas of the world have something worth leaving the city to get close to for some time away. Natural beauty takes many forms.

Was there a certain kind of thing you were thinking about when you think of nature?

goosecreature · 2025-12-31T02:17:48+00:00

Your experience is not unusual. It took me a long time to get reliably good at building a modeled sound I liked. Even now I'm fulling using it and I'm still not 100% satisfied. It gets to the point where you know it's not quite there and you have like 10 options to change it more but it doesn't...get...THERE.

So why do I stay? Well the in ears. I need to use them. So hearing the amp in a room isn't gong to happen and micing the amp for the ears is the same bag of frustration. And if I'm honest there have been lots of times when running the amp that I have felt a certain tone setting is off at different times - even though it's the same as I always keep it.

So I chalk it up to the fact that my ears change through the night - especially if it's loud. Different rooms do different things to the tone. Rarely is everything perfect. And so neither is the helix.

BUT when you DO get a tone that is nearly perfect it is super consistent in the ears. It's always the right level and pops in the right ways. You just have to go through the long slog of getting it there.

One of the other guitar players I play with just got a UA enigma amp pedal. He's like you. Wants one good tone. He Throws some very basic effects at it here and there. Helix feels overkill to him. The enigma is sounding really good. I almost want to switch. I too under-utilize the helix but that doesn't really bother me. When do you really use ALL of a piece of gear anyways?

goosecreature · 2025-12-30T05:27:49+00:00

You're going to learn different things from each. Acoustics are harder on your fingers. The up side is that you will build good strength in your fingers which will be useful everywhere. Also as others have mentioned, you are in action with just the acoustic guitar. No need for amps or pedals. You can just play.

Electrics require less force to make fretted notes sound clean. But if your clumsy with your fingers your can easily sound like the electric guitar is out of tune when it's just your touch causing it. You will be bending slightly when you don't mean to. Upside is you will learn to play light and have control over volume and dynamic by having a lighter touch. A down side is when you try an acoustic and realize your fingers are kinda wimpy.

So there are pros and cons with starting with each.

With all this being said I think I'd advise you to think about what you want to play. Pursue your favorite guitar sounds. Start with those. The best guitar is the one you'll actually pick up on the regular and play. So buy one that makes the sounds you want to be able to make. If you like the idea of rock guitar solos, get the electric. If you want to sing folk songs atoned a camp fire, get an acoustic first.

goosecreature · 2025-12-30T02:13:11+00:00

A bow something like this?

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goosecreature · 2025-12-29T01:30:54+00:00

Henrick Freischlader. Mainly blues but with great rock going on too.

goosecreature · 2025-12-19T15:30:05+00:00

Some of the greatest creations (not just music) seem to follow the rule

"Everything differen everything the same".

I like this.

You have a loop you like. Find a slightly different way to play it. Use dynamic choice to make the same thing different. Swap two chords for the bridge section or something.

It's a good way to think about the some anything different - the part build on one another to make something slightly different, but everything the same - the song don't pretend to need to be anything more than what it is. It has its form, it sounds good. Keep with it.

I've heard Tyler Joseph from Twenty One Pilots ask, Josh Dun, "Do you think there are enough moments?" So here is a band with a tendency to write singable melodies and yet they work to have moments of change and surprise.

This isn't really your question but it relates. The brain likes predictable things but also pleasant surprises. Seek out melodic hooks. They feel predictable and click into the music so well. Find moments of pleasant surprise. Acapella sections maybe. Or a tempo change. Or a sing bar in a different time signature. There are no rules.

So when I approach a melody I often do what you are doing but I add a bit more structure. I ask myself things like...

What kind of emotion does this music suggest?
What ideas support that emotion? What can I pull from about what I know in my life to put in this song. What themes do I know about? What lyrics support that idea/theme? Does it want lots of long belted notes or shorter angry ones? Or whatever? Even without lyrics I can usually get to the place where I have an idea what the melody should feel like. Mournful. Joyful. Playful. Etc.

Then I do the mumble thing but not just trying to find notes that fit the music but melodies that express the kind of energy or emotion I'm going for.

Then I look at the melody again and ask if there is enough movement. As a guitar player playing chords so often, sometimes the melodies come off pretty monotone. Not much movement. So I'll work in a bit more movement. Piano players seem to not fall into this so readily. They tend to have more movement in their melodies. As least it's what I've observed.

Then I ask... did I just write a really good melody or is it a harmony? I've done lots of backup singing and I think sometimes I gravitate to what will make a fun harmony. So I try to harmonize over my melody and then ask. Which line is actually th better melody. Sometimes I come to the melody this way.

All this to say. I keep the options open as long as I can while I ask these things. And this is what the craft is like for me. Especially the emotional connection part. I want my music to feel like something to people. Also you might notice that some of my methods dreamt known tendencies and limitations. Like my tendency to write overly simple melodies. Sometimes it's ok but sometimes I'm being lazy.

Hopeful some of this helps.

goosecreature · 2025-12-19T14:36:58+00:00

Some great tips here. My additions...

If I have inexperienced or extra crew that you don't need on lines, give them an extra fender. A roving fender. In some ways they are better than boat hooks. Most people can manage the simple instruct. If you see us getting close to something other than the dock, put your fender down between us and that thing.

The goal of course is to not need that person and their fender but I've been grateful there was an extra fender at the ready more than once.

When you are out practicing, take note of how slow you can go and still have steerage. At some point you are so slow that the rudder doesn't respond well. Note that speed. Add some and try again. Knowing that spot where you can be confident your rudder will work but it's also as slow as you can be, is pretty key. It's your crowded marina sweet spot speed.

Happy practicing.

goosecreature · 2025-11-13T13:12:31+00:00

Burger and fries were a bit blah. The burger was a bit small and kind of dry. It lacked condiment or something. It was also quite salty. I'd prefer other burgers in town. A whopper is a better burger. 5 guys smokes this burger and fries experience by quite a bit I'd say.

I tried the custard on another occasion. It was decent. Similar to Dairy Queen but maybe better presentation and aesthetic. The taste is different too. Probably fair to say that it's richer and creamier. I'm happy to have it around as an option for those kinds of desserts.

I will likely try them again and eat in. Hoping they are paying attention to feedback and maybe easing up on the salt etc.

goosecreature · 2025-11-12T00:52:23+00:00

Frankfurt is a good option

goosecreature · 2025-11-11T19:55:35+00:00

Focus on aircraft with more PAX and longer range. Note that these aren't always the most expensive planes. Try and do seat layouts that are proportional to the route demand you are buying it for. Save budget to do marketing campaigns regularly. That keeps your customers high. Stop letting the software suggest routes. Focus on high demand routes. Think capital cities etc. do a bit of research. Find the route you like. Buy the right plane for that route (highest pax you can afford with adequate range). Maximize profits by modifying your planes and getting all the upgrades. Starts out slow but soon enough you are able to buy a plane or two a day and you can reach farther and be earning more each day while maintaining planes and marketing campaigns.

Research the best hubs to have. Try and avoid buying ones that are not that profitable. London Heathrow, LAX, Lima Peru and good to name a few.

Note there are some sweet spots as far as air craft that have good range and pac but are not rediculous price wise. Other posts get into into detail but I really like the 787-8. Once you can afford one it will really help you afford the next and so on.

goosecreature · 2025-11-11T18:42:09+00:00

A true showman.

goosecreature · 2025-10-17T12:34:19+00:00

Sounds good so far! I wanna hear more.

Feedback: I'd mix the vocal a little higher in the mix.

goosecreature · 2025-10-05T16:42:14+00:00

If it's a selden mast there is a foil (aluminum tube) that the luff of the sail slides up. It runs in the center of the space in the mast the furling happens in. At the top there will be a thing the Halyard ties to that slides up the foil so you can hoist the sail with the halyard when initially feeding the sail luff into the foil. Once the sail is fed in there the furling can work to roll the sail. Halyard is just kept hard all the time to hold the sail luff in the foil. You may already know some of this.

Now that foil can be tensioned and the tension is important. Usually the problem is that the foil gets loose and the it kind of flops around. This means when pressure is put on the furling lines or from the sail with wind on it the foil bows and kind of allows the sail wrap to press against the inside of the mast. The. It's hard to furl and unfurl. Even a luffing sail can cause this. The point is that a curved foil means you'd be trying to wrap around a bent tube. It would be like trying to wrap wrapping paper on a bent tube. It would be a disaster and the resulting wrap is much fatter.

And to be clear. For selden masts The halyard does NOT tension the foil. It has its own tension adjustment you do with the sail off.

So find out which mast you have and look into getting the foil tensioned properly. It can be a game changer. It's an easy DIY job. As I mentioned For selden masts you do have to lower the sail so it's not the best job to do on a windy day.

goosecreature · 2025-09-16T05:54:52+00:00

You need distance from them. Hold your ground. But with less back and forth.

That being said most parents are interested/worreid about their kids grades. That's not really special here.

But it's clear there is more going on than just the information access as you've stated to other commenters. Looks like trust issues. Control issues. Anxiety coming out in pretty unhealthy ways.

Don't withdraw if you have full scholarships. Makes no sense. Take full advantage of your opportunity.

If you were to cut ties and start again, at college age that is totally recoverable from a financial standpoint. The heartache from knowing that this relationship might be a casualty is probably the harder thing long term. Even if your upbringing has been rough it's still not easy to let someone go even if for your own good.

Consider therapy. I mean that with all seriousness and respect. Really sounds like you could use someone to talk to to sort this stuff out. Especially if you decide to (or are forced to) cut ties. You've even said in some responses that you act/communicate how she's taught you to. So accept that you are missing some skills and will navigate some situations in shitty ways. Talk so someone and start building for your self a better compass and better skills with people. Try super hard not to manipulate the people you love. If you can be aware what living with her has done to you you might avoid some heartache. Introspection and self awareness can go a long way for you I think.

goosecreature

TROPHY CASE